A castle (from Latin: castellum) is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for nobility; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence - though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to structures as diverse as hill forts and country houses. Over the approximately 900 years that castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls and arrowslits, were commonplace.
Castles
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3Kisvarda Castle
Kisvarda Castle. The castle was built for the protection of the locals in the 15th century to the order of Archbishop Istvan Varday, chancellor of Matthias Corvinus. The ruins of the castle now play a major role in the town’s cultural life.
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5Klevan Castle
Klevan Castle is one of the oldest forts in Volynia, Ukraine. It was built in the mid-15th century by Prince Michael Chortoryisky in order to control a ford over the Stubla River.
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10Klopp Castle
Klopp Castle (German: Burg Klopp) is a castle in the town of Bingen am Rhein in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
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2Krasna Horka Castle
The Krasna Horka Castle is a castle in Slovakia, built on a hilltop overlooking the village of Krasnohorske Podhradie near Roznava, in Kosice Region.
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10Krupa Castle (Ruins)
Krupa Castle lies on the road from Chelm to Krasnystaw, built from the early sixteenth century. Until at least the first half of the seventeenth century. The castle consisted of a headquarters and castle grounds.
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4Kunerad Castle
The castle Kunerad is located 2 km from the village Kunerad between Ziliaska kotlina (dell) and Lucanska Little Fatra. The castle was finished in 1916 in the Seccession style with two towers and terraces.
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4Lancut Castle
Lancut Castle is a complex of buildings located in Lancut, Poland. Historically, the residence of the Lubomirski and Potocki families, the complex includes a number of buildings and is surrounded by a park.
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2Lator Castle (Ruins)
Lator Castle (Ruins). The wall stump of a former castle stands on the Latorvar from the age of the Hungarian conquest.
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6Lesko Castle
Castle of the Kmita family, built in the sixteenth century (16th century), then reconstructed, partially destroyed and rebuilt. At one time, it was the home of the Polish poet Wincenty Pol.
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2Lietava Castle (Ruins)
The Lietava Castle is an extensive castle ruin in the Sulov Mountains of northern Slovakia, between the villages of Lietava and Lietavska Svinna-Babkov in the Zilina District.
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1Likava Castle (Ruins)
The castle is situated in the north-western part of Liptov. The castle was bilt in 1335-1341. Its construction started with the intention to have a guarding point over the passage across the river Vah and the trade route from the Vah Basin to Orava and further to Poland.
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1Liptovsky Castle (Ruins)
Liptovsky castle (also called Sielnicky castle or Old Liptov castle) is a ruin of the castle located between the cities Liptovsky Mikulas and Ruzomberok.
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3Liptovsky Hradok Castle and Mansion
Liptovsky Hradok Castle and Mansion. Ruins of a Gothic castle with attached Renaissance chateau stands on a small hill in the middle of the plane, from where it originally was divided moat. Located north of the city.
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9Litomysl Castle (Chateau of Litomysl)
The dominant feature of Litomysl is the monumental Renaissance castle dating from the years 1568–1581. The buildings of the castle precincts are not only exceptional for their architectural refinement, but have also inscribed themselves in history as the birthplace of the Czech composer, Bedrich Smetana.
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6Lonyai Castle (Ruins), Mediesu Aurit
The Lonyai Castle was built between 1620-1657, by Zsigmond Lonyai, in the purest Renaissance style. Similar castles can be found only in Slovakia.
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10Lublin Castle
The Lublin Castle is a medieval castle situated in Lublin, Poland, adjacent to the Old Town district and close to the city center. It is one of the oldest preserved Royal residencies in Poland, established by High Duke Casimir II the Just.
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4Lukacovce Castle
Undoubtedly the greatest interest Lukacovce is a cultural historical monument, which is a medieval castle from the 15th century.
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3Lupca Castle
The Lupca castle towers above the village Slovenska Lupca. It's the highest located castle building in the Hron area (Pohronie).
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1Magochy Castle, Pacin
Magochy Castle, Pacin. The village's principal sights the middle-aged castle museum with a Renaissance style, that with a big area (20 hectares) wooded park (baron garden) surrounds.
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10Malbork Castle
The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork is the largest castle in the world by surface area. It was built in Marienburg, Prussia (now Malbork) by the Teutonic Knights, a German Roman Catholic religious order of crusaders, in a form of an Ordensburg fortress. The Order named it Marienburg (Mary's Castle). The town which grew around it was also named Marienburg.
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1Malcice Castle (Ruins)
A Malcice Castle was built in 13th century by Belo IV. Destroyed in the second half of 15th century by the king Mathias. Malcice Castle (Ruins).
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1Malenovice Castle
Malenovice Castle. Malenovice is a castle located in the Malenovice part of the city of Zlin in the Czech Republic. It was built in the second half of the 14th century.
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10Marchegg Castle
In the 13th century, a fortified city including a moated castle was erected at the place where then, as now, the Morava riverbed disappears around the bend. Marchegg Castle.
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1Markaz Castle (Ruins)
Markaz Castle (Ruins). The ruins of the former Markaz castle at the end of Var crag lie about 2 km way from Markaz. It is assumed that the Kompolti family that belonged to the Aba genus had it built in the 1270-1280's.
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9Marksburg Castle
The Marksburg is a castle above the town of Braubach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is one of the principal sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Rhine Gorge. The fortress was used for protection rather than as a residence for royal families. It has a striking example of a bergfried designed as a butter-churn tower.
